Fear in Europe: Second coronavirus wave only a matter of time

Dr. Andrea Ammon, director of the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention, warns not to celebrate end of coronavirus crisis.

Arutz Sheva Staff , 20/05/20 20:26

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Dr. Andrea Ammon, director of the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that the second and perhaps more severe wave of the coronavirus will hit Europe for certain.

"The prospect of a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak across Europe is no longer a distant theory. The question is when and how big. This is the only question in my mind," said Dr. Ammon, who previously advised the German government.

While many European countries have in recent weeks eased the closure imposed on civilians, Dr. Amon warned that this is too early to celebrate, and that the second wave in Europe may be even more severe. "We see between 2 to 14 percent immune. That still leaves 85 to 90 percent of the population vulnerable. The virus is much more around us than in January and February. I don't want to paint a doomsday picture but I think we should be realistic. Now is not the time to completely relax. Now that the number of infections is declining, people think it's over. It's definitely not over."

Meanwhile, a new study in the UK showed that type 1 diabetics are more at risk of death from corona virus than type 2 diabetics.

The study found that almost one in three of the coronavirus deaths in hospitals in England during the epidemic is related to diabetes.

Type 1 diabetics are 3.5 times more likely to die from the corona virus than non-diabetic people.

Type 2 diabetics are twice as likely to die than people without diabetes. However, age is also a significant factor in both types of diabetes. Patients under the age of 40 were significantly less likely to die from coronavirus, compared to people over 40, with the higher the age, the greater the risk of death from a combination of diabetes and coronavirus.